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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26975275">Flowers in the Great Tree Moon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/astracrits/pseuds/astracrits'>astracrits</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, minor mentions of Dedue, minor mentions of Sylvain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:27:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26975275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/astracrits/pseuds/astracrits</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which Mercedes makes the ultimate choice in the tailtean plains.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flowers in the Great Tree Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mercedes was kneeling before the altar of the small chapel she used to go lately. Her prayers weren’t directed at anybody in specific—instead praying for the safety of Fódlan, but that day she seemed to focus only on Dimitri, Sylvain and Dedue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, Mercedes was to participate in the battle in the Tailtean plains along with her king and her friends against Edelgard’s army, as well as her former friends and teacher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercedes clasped her hands tighter, her lips seemed to form a tight line. Lately, she’d been questioning whether this whole thing was worth fighting for. Mercedes might seem too sweet, but she was not an idiot; she knew that what she was doing was extremely dangerous. She saw everybody gathering their relic, she even once saw Dedue hurriedly run with something very important and mumbling things to himself. The fact that Lady Rhea—now Seiros was going to fight too only confirmed her suspicions.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was she prepared to risk it all in the upcoming fight?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her friends that didn’t side with the professor were dead, even the people that weren’t in her class died too. It was scary just thinking about it, that someone could be so powerful, that someone could kill mercilessly. It was inhuman, to have so little value for human life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granted, everybody seemed to only want to satisfy their own agenda; Dimitri, Claude, Edelgard, they were the ones who wanted to change Fódlan—the only ones with the power to do so. But were they truly the only ones? Mercedes always thought to herself if she had any power to make a significant change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her house wasn’t big compared to those three’s. She had magical power, almost nobody could say they could compare to her skill, but was that everything that was needed to do anything?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. Someone needed influence, they needed connections, allies, multiple things that Mercedes didn’t have. Sometimes it seemed pointless to think about it, but it also made her believe that maybe there was really a way for her to make a change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whether it would be on herself first, or she turned people to her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But such thoughts were unlike her. Mercedes was no conqueror, she was no queen, not a tactician. No matter how much she watched Dimitri, read the battalion news about Edelgard or Claude, she couldn’t seem to learn what was needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was okay. Mercedes was no conqueror, she was no queen nor a tactician. She was herself: a kind, honest woman with a warm heart, who’s desire for doing good and giving back made her the person she was today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I’d find you here, Mercedes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her prayers were interrupted by her king. His commanding, deep voice sounded so scary sometimes, this was one of them. “Ahh!” She squealed. “Oh, Dimitri. What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came to check up on you, you’re coming to this chapel more and more lately.” He knew why, but he didn’t dare mention the reason himself. “... is everything alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to say no so desperately that her body shook lightly, but she controlled herself by making a smile. She didn’t want to smile—she couldn’t smile, but the motion gave her the chance to bite her own tongue. “Everything is fine, Dimitri. I find solace and the strength I need in prayer, I’m sorry if I worried you.” It was a lie, everything. The chapel was her only safe haven in the midst of war and destruction. Nobody in the army went there, so Mercedes was able to cry and scream as much as she wanted. She was lucky she didn’t start weeping before or after Dimitri arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can tell you’re lying, Mercedes.” Quick to the chase. It made Mercedes jump. “You’re in deep anguish about the coming fight. You don’t want to fight, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what could she say? That she really didn’t? That she would prefer to leave Fódlan forever? She knew that there was a very good chance that they would lose, why couldn’t Dimitri see that? Surely he read the reports, Edelgard and the professor ravaged everywhere they went.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless, Mercedes replied, “Of course not. I am just worried for all of us, I am praying for our safety.” At least that much was correct.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Dimitri knew better, she was really scared. Even in their time in the academy he had never seen her this scared. “Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, Mercedes.” Dimitri sat in the small bench next to him, rubbing his chin afterwards. “You’re pretty strong. To be able to keep your composture at such a time, I wish I could be like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that! You’re pretty strong too!” she said this with a smile, going closer to Dimitri. “You’ve got a lot of work as our king, it’s only natural that you’d feel you aren’t doing enough or that you aren’t strong, but it’s the contrary. We all believe in you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It saddened her that she could say such words of courage to anybody but herself. She needed to hear it, just a bit of reassurance even, but she couldn’t. It was physically impossible to calm herself down in her greatest moments of need.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mercedes.” Dimitri raised his head to give her a smile. He could see determination in her face, as well as a sad smile, but he didn’t comment anymore. “Well, I believe it is time for us to head onto the battlefield.” The sound of rain started echoing all around, it hit the glass of the chapel’s skylight, giving a whole new setting to the place. “Shall we go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercedes stayed silent for a moment, her lips formed a line and her entire frame seemed to shake once again. “No, you go on, I have to blow off the candles, we don’t want this place to burn down, do we?” She giggled. It was all she could do at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri chuckled along with her and for a moment, everything seemed fine; Mercedes’ body warmed up, she wished the moment could last forever. “No, we don’t. Very well then, you’ll meet us with the Pegasus Knight reinforcements. I’ll take my leave--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dimitri, wait.” Mercedes interrupted him. She turned around quickly, grabbing one of the flowers that were placed on the altar by her some time ago. “Take this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last thing that Mercedes could do for Dimitri, for Sylvain, for Dedue. She placed the flower in his hand and grabbed his hand. She closed her eyes afterward, saying a prayer for him, Sylvain, Dedue, everybody in Fhirdiad.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>May the goddess Sothis protect you all. May she give you the strength that I lacked, the courage to do this, and the determination to prevail. Forgive me, everyone, I was…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them said anything for some moments. Dimitri didn’t know what was happening, why Mercedes’ sudden reaction. This was something she’d never done before, but because of that same reason he let everything play out, hoping he would understand soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercedes opened her eyes slowly, but she quickly closed them again, as the tears began pooling in her eyes rather quickly and she didn’t want to let Dimitri see that moment of absolute weakness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment in which she would leave forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood on her tiptoes, reaching to give Dimitri a kiss on the cheek, whispering afterwards, “Please, be safe.” Mercedes turned around then, kneeling to blow a candle on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing else was said, nothing else needed to be said. Whether the king understood or not that Mercedes was not going to participate, it was done anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dimitri turned around and left, the sound of many horses galloping away followed suit. There was absolute silence then, which was then interrupted by the sound of Mercedes’ low weeping and candles being blown off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a little while, when every light was off and every tear dried off, Mercedes stood up. She made her way through the hall with quickness. There was no time to lose. She left the chapel and walked to her horse, quickly getting on it and making it run through the plains despite the heavy rain and the thunderous storm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only she was going away from all the fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would leave Fódlan by her own will; it wasn’t weakness what made her leave, it was her own strength and determination. She would live no matter what happened in that battle, and she knew that she would eventually make the change she wanted. Even if it was little by little, day by day, Mercedes wouldn’t give up, and she wouldn’t lose heart. She would atone for everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*A couple of years later*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A kid ran through the gardens of the small orphanage where he lived, he played with the other kids, knowing that they would be safe from the tyranny of the established empire of Fódlan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran into the small building at the north of the orphanage, not caring to knock on the door as he opened it. “Miss Marta, are you leaving soon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman he called turned around. She was tall, with flowing blonde hair that was kept in a low tail. Her clothes seemed like those of a nun, but they looked slightly different too, as there was a hint of beige and black. She had a small veil hanging by the wall next to her small bed. There were a couple of decorations in the room, mementos that the woman kept during her younger years. Did they remind her of some people?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’m leaving right now.” She had a sweet voice, but that wasn’t surprising, as her entire person was sweet as well. Her Indigo eyes showed extreme compassion and kindness, but they also held a tint of the biggest regret a person could have. “Be sure to take care of everybody, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” He stepped to the side to let her leave. “I always forget that you go plant flowers to those… tailte-- whatever plains whenever the Great Tree Moon comes up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman stood still in shock. The kid always said that every year, it still paralyzed her after so many years. “Yes, it’s a tradition of mine.” It was the worst pain, but she learned to bear with it as the years passed, she learned to live with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you make some sweets for us when you get back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to, we can also have tea time.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hehe I used the name Marta since Mercedes' last name is Martritz so it kinda sounded similar.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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